Minimal CSound Installer for FTS
(CSound version 4.23 f12 dated 2004-07-04 17:00)
(for Fractal Tune Smithy Users)
If you don't yet have CSound you can get the Minimal CSound to render the saved CSound files to audio from FTS. You will probably also want to get CSound AV to play the CSound instruments in real time from FTS.
Minimal CSound - Versions of CSound - CSound AV - Using CSound AV with FTS - CSound Help
This is a minimal CSound installer which installs just the files that you need in order to render CSound scores and orchestras in FTS. You need this installer if new to CSound.
If you already have C-Sound you mightn't need this installer. However, it does no harm to have extra copies of CSound on your computer, so you can get this one as well even if you already have C-Sound.
Here is an all in one download which includes the CSound Manual as well - useful if you want to be able to browse it off-line:
Minimal CSound With Manual (double precision), Minimal CSound With Manual (single precision).
Both are 1811 KB. You may as well get the double precision one which is more exact, though it could be fractionally slower. If speed is a primary consideration you may prefer the single precision one. If you install both, then the one that you install last is the one that FTS will use (though it is easy to change it).
Or without the manual:
Minimal CSound (double precision), Minimal CSound (single precision)
both are 632 KB
Right click on the link, then choose Save As. Then once the download is finished, run the the installer to install CSound.
On the first page you will see that the installer has an option to associate .orc and .sco files with WinSound - left unselected. If unsure leave that unselected. This isn't needed by FTS, however it affects what happens if you open a C-Sound file e.g. with a double click on your Files Explorer. You may prefer to associate them with a front end such as WinXoundPro (which is bundled with CSound AV) which lets you edit the files as well as render them.
FTS will probably find C-Sound automatically next time you start it up. If not, go to File | CSound File Opts | CSound Renderer and click on the Get Location button. You should then be all set up to play and render CSound scores made in FTS. If you want to browse the manual offline then click on the Get Installed Manual Location in the same window.
Do you want to be able to play the CSound instruments in real time as well? You can do that from FTS if you download and install CSound AV.
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The installer on this page is a minimal one with just what you need to run C-Sound from FTS. It is intended to give a quick way for newbies to get started using the example C-Sound instruments included with FTS and to make new ones right away. Also it probably won't be up to date with the latest version of C-Sound.
You can get the most recent versions of CSound here: CSound Project Home - then go to the Files area. Then follow the links to download the most recent version of csound_con[version].exe or csound_win[version].exe.
There are various modifications you can make to your system to help with some of the more techy ways of using CSound, for instance from the command line. See http://fermi.uchicago.edu/~cfneese/personal/ConfiguringCsoundWin9x.html
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You need this if you want to play your CSound instruments in real time. You can start it up from FTS from the Instruments for Parts window. You get it here: CSoundAV download page
You will see several different versions of the CSoundAV installer on that page. It's best to use the full installer because it sets everything up ready to use. Also, WinXoundPro which you get in the full installer is a neat CSound editor to have - complete with syntax colouring.
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Additional files for CSAV for users of old computers
On some older computers you may get an error message when you try to install CSAV, about missing dlls.
If you get this message, here is an installer to install them for you - you only need this if you got an error message from CSoundAV when you tried to install it, to say that it needs them: msvcrt_and_msvcp60_Setup.exe (240 Kb)
It installs version 6.10.9359.0 of msvcrt, and version 6.00.8972.0 of msvcp60. It will only install them if they are newer than the ones you already have. Also if they are in use then it will install them automatically when you next reboot.
These dlls aren't hard to find but can be a bit tricky to install by hand, particularly updating msvcrt.dll while Windows is still running (because the file gets locked). The installer does it all for you automatically.
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You can start CSoundAV from Tune Smithy | File | CSound Instruments for Parts | Play Hi. in CsAV
Then you need some way to relay the notes played in FTS around to CSoundAV.
The normal thing to do here is to get a software loopback. An excellent choice for Vista or XP would be Loopbe1.
You can do it in hardware if you have a soundcard with physical in and out midi ports - join one to the other with a midi cable. - that's called a loopback cable.
Loopbe1 and other programs of its type imitate the hardware approach in software. It adds extra entries to your out and in menus. Then you choose one of those new devices as the midi Output device in FTS and the same device as your input device for CSound AV. Then your notes will all get relayed from FTS to Csound AV.
If this seems counter intuitive - think of it as like connecting the out of your midi keyboard to the In of your computer using a hardware cable. Simlarly - you connect the Out of FTS to the In of CSAV using a software cable.
The main alternatives seem to be:Loopbe1, Maple Virtual Midi Cable from Marble Sound or Midi Yoke Junction. They are all fast. It does no harm to install several of them at once.
Loopbe1 and Maple Virtual Midi Cable are very easy to install and use. Maple Virtual Midi Cable can't relay sysexes - however this doesn't matter for C-SoundAV (you may want to use sysexes if you do MTS retuning with FTS).
Midi Yoke Junction is also an excellent choice for most users. But there is one thing you have to watch out for. If you use GigaStudio on XP then you should AVOID Midi Yoke because of an incompatibility between Giga and Midi Yoke. As soon as you install Midi Yoke on XP, Giga hangs or runs extremely slowly - even if Midi Yoke is disabled. It seems that the only solution to this issue is to uninstall Midi Yoke.
To install Midi Yoke Junction for XP or Vista, follow the Download link on that page. Don't use the pictorial instructions for XP.
Vista users need to disable User Account Control temporarily to install Midi Yoke. You do that from User Accounts then Turn User Account Control on / off.
On the other operating systems, the instructions on the web site may look a little complex to some at first sight - but it is easier than it seems. Just follow through the instructions one step at at time and you can't go wrong - they have step by step instructions for all the Windows operating systems with screen shots of every stage on the web site.
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Those who want to work with the CSound scores and orchestras themselves and have a go at modifying them may find the GameDev CSound Tutorial a useful starting point. The CSound Home Page has links to tutorials. Then for the more techy details you will probably want to get the Alternative CSound manual. This is included in the installers with Manuals for Minimal CSound .
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